1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the art of electrical contact used in an electrical connector for electrically connecting an integrated circuit (IC) module to a printed circuit board (PCB).
2. Description of the Prior Art
Land grid array (LGA) connectors are widely used in personal computer (PC) systems to electrically connect LGA chips with PCBs. An LGA connector comprises a multiplicity of contacts arranged in a rectangular array. Each contact has a first contact portion soldered to a PCB, and a second contact portion depressed by and engaging with a corresponding contact pad of an LGA chip. Thus the chip and the PCB are electrically connected by the connector.
China Patent Nos. ZL95223360.6 and ZL0221158.3, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,296,495 and 5,984,693 each disclose a conventional contact of an LGA electrical connector. Referring to FIG. 8, U.S. Pat. No. 6,296,495 discloses a contact 5 of an LGA electrical connector. The contact 5 is stamped from a resilient metal strip. The contact 5 comprises a horizontal soldering base 50, for soldering the contact 5 to a circuit pad of a PCB (not shown) and thereby electrically connecting the contact 5 with the PCB. The soldering base 50 has a rear end 501 and a front end 503. An upper spring arm 52 extends upwardly and forwardly from a rear end 501 of the soldering base 50. The spring arm 52 has a curved top contact portion 521 for engaging with a plate-like contact pad of an LGA chip (not shown) when the LGA chip is pressed against the LGA electrical connector. Thus, the contact 5 electrically connects the LGA chip with the PCB. A lower beam 54 upwardly and forwardly extends from a front end 503 of the soldering base 50. A vertically oriented junction portion 56 extends from a front end of the lower beam 54. An upper section of the junction portion 56 is bifurcated, and forms a pair of retention arms 561. The lower contact beam 54 and the junction portion 56 are integrally joined between the retention arms 561. A multiplicity of barbs 562 is respectively formed on opposite vertical side edges of the junction portion 56, for interferentially fixing the contact 5 in an insulative housing (not shown).
However, the barbs 562 are so thin that the contact 5 is liable to sustain deformation in assembly of the LGA electrical connector. In addition, the horns of the barbs 562 are prone to scrape inner surfaces of a corresponding passageway of a housing (not shown) of the LGA electrical connector, resulting in the contact 5 not being securely fastened in the passageway. These contingencies can lead to failure of electrical connection between the LGA chip and PCB.
Hence, a new LGA electrical connector contact is required to overcome the above-described disadvantages.